Dermatitis

DERMATITIS IS NOT ONE CONDITION — AND NOT ONE TYPE OF SKIN

The term “dermatitis” describes an inflammatory reaction of the skin, but the causes of that reaction can be completely different.

contact dermatitis

→ atopic dermatitis
→ irritant dermatitis
→ seborrheic dermatitis
→ perioral dermatitis and other forms

These conditions may look similar but have different mechanisms and may require different approaches.

Therefore, the first principle of professional skincare is:

do not treat all forms of dermatitis in the same way.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE SKIN?

In many forms of dermatitis, the interaction between the following factors becomes disrupted:

skin barrier
+
immune response
+
external irritants
+
skin microenvironment.

The barrier may become less effective.
The skin loses water.
Irritants can affect nerve endings and immune cells more easily.

This can lead to: redness → dryness → itching → scaling → inflammation.

Some forms may also involve papules, vesicles, weeping, or crusting.
Therefore, the appearance of the skin does not always reveal the underlying cause of the process.

NOT EVERY RED AREA NEEDS TO BE “CLEansed”

This is particularly important.

When the skin is inflamed, the familiar cosmetic approach:
cleanse → degrease → exfoliate → treat intensively
may be inappropriate.

When the barrier is compromised, additional friction or aggressive treatment may increase irritation.

Therefore, the principle with dermatitis should be reversed:

first understand the condition of the skin

→ then determine the appropriate level of intervention.

AFFINITY: MINIMIZING UNNECESSARY IMPACT

Affinity makes it possible to organize professional skincare without the need for intensive action on the skin surface.

controlled vacuum
↓
gentle contact
↓
controlled delivery of a professional solution
↓
interaction with natural pore and follicular openings
↓
minimization of friction and abrasive action.

Here, the important factor is not simply the use of a device.

What matters is the principle:

do not create additional skin damage simply to gain access to the skin.

THE PORE — A NATURAL ANATOMICAL POINT OF ACCESS

The skin surface is not an absolutely sealed membrane.

It contains natural structures:

pore openings

→ follicular openings
→ ductal pathways.

Affinity uses these natural pathways to organize solution delivery.

This makes it possible to avoid building the procedure around:

friction → scraping → intensive exfoliation → disruption of the surface barrier.

But one distinction is essential:

a natural pore pathway does not mean that the solution is automatically delivered deep into an inflammatory lesion.

Therefore, it is more accurate to describe this as controlled interaction with the skin surface and its natural anatomical pathways, rather than as “therapeutic penetration.”

WITH DERMATITIS, IT IS NOT ONLY THE FORMULATION THAT MATTERS — BUT HOW IT IS DELIVERED

The same solution may be tolerated differently depending on the condition of the skin barrier.

Therefore, the professional question is not only:

“What are we applying?”

but also:

“How is the skin receiving it?”

The amount of solution.
Temperature.
Vacuum level.
Duration of contact.
Mechanical action.
Condition of the skin surface.
All of these parameters may affect the tolerability of the procedure.

AFFINITY AND DIFFERENT TYPES OF DERMATITIS

CONTACT DERMATITIS

Here, identifying the potential irritant or allergen is particularly important.

If the reaction is associated with a specific component of a cosmetic product, using that same component does not become safer simply because it is delivered by a different method.

Therefore:

first eliminate the potential trigger

→ then restore skin comfort
→ then, when appropriate, consider professional skincare.

ATOPIC DERMATITIS

Here, skin barrier function is particularly important.

Therefore, the focus shifts away from intensive cleansing toward:

gentleness

→ minimizing friction
→ supporting skin comfort
→ gentle care for dry skin.

Active lesions require medical management.

SEBORRHEIC DERMATITIS

Here, several factors may be relevant simultaneously:

sebum
+
skin microenvironment
+
Malassezia
+
inflammatory response
+
barrier condition.

Therefore, simply degreasing the surface does not address the entire process.

Affinity may be considered as part of gentle professional skincare, but not as a substitute for diagnosis and condition-specific treatment.

THE CORE PRINCIPLE FOR ALL FORMS

With dermatitis, the procedure should not begin with the device.

It begins with the question:

what is happening to the skin right now?

If the skin:

is weeping

→ has erosions
→ has fresh crusts
→ is bleeding
→ is severely inflamed
→ is painful
→ shows signs of secondary infection,

cosmetic treatment of that area should not automatically be considered the next step.

First comes assessment of the condition and appropriate medical management.

THE DISTINCTIVE AFFINITY APPROACH

Affinity is not interesting because there is a separate “dermatitis protocol.”

Its relevance lies elsewhere:

when the skin is vulnerable, the technology allows the very nature of the procedure to be adjusted.

Less:
friction

→ abrasive action
→ aggressive intervention